Pioneering new approach to a former niche genre

Cóilín Collins (Cóilí), one half of the DJ pair VSN who are in the City's Carbon nightclub on Wednesday and Thursday nights.

By Emil Trahan

One half of DJ pair VSN, Cóilín Collins, partners Evan Campbell every Wednesday and Thursday in Carbon nightclub under their stage names Cóilí and Kettama.

Last week, they warmed the crowd up prior to the show from popular Australian producer, Mall Grab.

Coilín is 20-years-old from Inverin, and he is pleased that there is a real interest for this type of act now in Galway.

“I’m supporting Mall Grab on Wednesday night and I never thought I’d do that. There are two other acts playing in the Cellar and in the Loft and all three will more than likely sell out so it’s cool to see a real interest for it.”

In Ireland and in Galway, techno and house music acts have become goldmines for clubs looking to attract students. What was once a niche genre in the country is fast heading to the forefront of the music scene for young people in Ireland.

The club scene naturally goes hand-in-hand with heavy consumption of alcohol and Cóilín, who is a pioneer, would like to see a happy medium between dead sober and too drunk.

“There’s this attitude in Ireland that as soon as you can drink, you do it until you get as drunk as possible and the problem with drink and drugs is that people aren’t able to cope without them.

“I notice now that people our age, their relationship with drugs and drink at 15 or 16 has kind of ruined them a bit now at the age of 21, 22 because they realise that they’re not just there to get completely tanked, they’re there to have a good time,” he says.

Though some people will argue against it, Cóilín feels that from his experience as a DJ, there is a still a drug culture connected to the type of music he plays.

“People who take drugs are usually into dance music and vice versa; it’s not to say that everyone that is into dance music is taking drugs because they obviously aren’t but that’s how young people are going out now and we have to face that.”

While Coilín obviously wouldn’t recommend taking any sort of drug, he also wants people to enjoy themselves while being safe at the same time.